In the current information age, information technology (IT) tools play a significant role in our daily activities, and there are often discussions of the desirableness of a paperless society. However, notwithstanding such discussions, there remains a need by users of computers and other information terminals (that is, any of the various conventional devices which may have a need to print on demand, such as personal computers, notebook computers, workstations, other types of computers, kiosks, PDAs, other information appliances, etc.) for printing (as well as other output) functionalities. Therefore, output devices having printing or plotting functionality, such as printers, copiers, multi-function peripheral (MFP) devices, etc., continue to play a significant role at home, at work and even elsewhere.
As output devices and other IT assets continue to proliferate, device management tools are extensively used in, for example, an office environment in order to manage a fleet of devices (such as multi-function devices, printers, etc.) and other IT assets. For example, one of the challenges in planning the placement of output devices in an office environment often is determining the optimal location (e.g., so as to optimize use) of the devices. While it is possible to optimize device location based on a floorplan and distances to the desks of employees, there is no easy solution to analyze traffic patterns and determine which locations are most convenient, and which ones might be ignored even if they are actually convenient.